


Katherine

by stealing_your_kittens



Category: Ghosts (TV 2019)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-05-02 09:12:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19195924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stealing_your_kittens/pseuds/stealing_your_kittens
Summary: A series of one-shots about my Ghosts OC. (New chapter 2 added. Original 2 is now 3, as I'm trying to keep these chronological.)





	1. The awakening

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [this post](https://stealing-your-kittens.tumblr.com/post/185021116000/ghostsona)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new ghost awakens, Thomas is an idiot and Mary is maternal

She was cold, but not uncomfortable. That was the first thing she noticed. Opening her eyes, Katie sat up and immediately found herself face to face with an unknown – admittedly handsome- man who was hovering over her.

“His eyes were brown,” the man blurted, as if he’d been dying to say the words for some time. “I named him Edward for you, though no one else heard me, of course, still it’s the thought that-”

“Get out of here or I’ll scream,” she warned, reaching for the blanket to cover her chemise. At first, she didn’t notice the odd thing which had happened until her fingers fumbled again and the blanket once more failed to rise.

“Oh, please, don’t be frightened.” He reached for her, the gesture somehow dramatic and placating at once. “I promise I’m nothing like that Pemberton cad.”

She scrambled backwards as much to get away from the man as from the torrent of words and the memories they evoked. Nicholas Pemberton's grasping hands and empty promises of marriage. Elizabeth’s kind agreement to hide her compromised cousin. Arms gently but firmly restraining Katie as she tried to rise and go to her child, the wet nurse blocking her view as she and the midwife worked to get the child cleaned and bundled away from its mother’s sight. Her own voice begging deaf ears to at least tell her if she’d borne a son or daughter.

“Leave me alone,” Katie cried frantically, trying once more to grab the blanket. When her third attempt also failed, she made good on her promise to scream. Throwing herself from the bed as she did so and running behind her dressing screen for the scant protection it might offer. Why was no one coming to save her?

He made to follow, arms still reaching, only to find his way blocked by a woman who -to Katherine’s utter horror- simply stepped through the wall and directly into his path.

“Stop that, you soppy twit” the woman scolded, folding her arms and scowling at him. “Scarin’ ‘er half to death.”

“Technically,” the man began, raising a finger for emphasis, “I can’t do that, because-”

“Leave off,” the woman waved his point aside, “You know what I meant.” She tsked at him. “Poor thing’s barely even awake and you start throwing yourself at her. She’s not even properly dressed.”

At this last, the woman stepped more firmly in front of her, hiding Katherine from view completely. Filled with equal parts terror and mortification, Katherine tried for the dressing gown hanging over the screen. It, too, completely eluded her, and tears of humiliation gathered in her eyes. She sniffled, unable to stop the sound, and suddenly found herself with the woman’s full attention. Her face was surprisingly kind, although absolutely filthy with soot.

“There, now,” she said gently, “you’ve had quite the shock. Poor dear.” For just a second, she spared a glance over her shoulder at the man. “Out, you.”

The man pouted like a child and stomped reluctantly out through the door. Literally through the door. And there, lying on the bed. Surely that wasn't...No. It couldn't possibly be Katherine. She couldn't be here and there at once.

“How-but-you’re-are you? Am I?”

“Dead as anything,” the woman said with a decisive nod.

When she held out her arms with a questioning look, Katherine hesitated only a second before gratefully collapsing into them and giving way to the sobs crowding in her throat.

“I didn’t even get to hold my baby,” she choked. “I just wanted to say goodbye.”

It wasn’t fair that a complete stranger knew more about her son than she did.

The woman holding Katie clicked her tongue and made soothing noises, crooning to her as if she were a frightened animal. She didn’t try to offer any further comfort, for which Katie was grateful. What could she have possibly said to make this better? Her child gone, her life over, and apparently she now faced the prospect of eternity in her undergarments. The last thought was at least enough to earn a watery giggle which soon gave way to full-blown hysterical laughter.

“Oh dear,” the woman fretted, stepping back a little and patting both hands ineffectively at Katherine’s tangled red curls; thumbs swiping at the tear tracks on her cheeks. “There, there. Mustn’t give in to the madness.”

She _did_ feel as if she’d gone mad, so it was a fair assessment. When Katie had finally calmed herself, her own hands came up to dash away any remaining tears.

“I’m alright, now,” she assured the woman.

“No, you’re not,” came the knowing reply. “But you will be.”


	2. Someone needs a restraining order

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie issues a much-need verbal smackdown

“How did you know?”

It had been less than a week since she died, but Katie couldn’t stand putting it off any longer. It seemed that Thomas was constantly hovering. She’d see him from the corner of her eye. Staring. It had irritated her in the beginning. Now, it was truly grating.

In fairness to him, she’d sought him out in his ‘sighing place’ this time, so she’d only herself to blame for being subjected to the besotted puppy eyes.

He instantly perked up at being addressed.

“How did I know what, my dearest? That you were meant for me? That we belonged together? That-”

Katie held up a hand to stop him, the other going instinctively to her forehead to prevent the headache that wouldn’t actually be coming.

“I have my suspicions,” she interrupted, “but I want to hear it from you before I get angry. How did you know about Nicholas Pemberton? Or what names I had chosen for my baby?”

Thomas had the grace to look embarrassed, at least, which confirmed her theory even before he spoke.

“Ah. That. Yes. You must understand, I do it to everyone when they’re writing. I just want to pretend I’m holding a pen again and your words were so beautifully melancholy that I simply could not help myself.”

“You read my diary,” she said flatly. “Every time I recorded my private thoughts, you were there. Spying on me.”

“I-I wouldn’t call it spying, exactly. I was...” He gestured dramatically, one hand over his heart while the other reached for her. “I was _pining_. Don’t you see? I needed to be close to you at all times. The fact that you spent so much time writing was only a happy coincidence.”

Could he really have so little self-awareness as to call her solitary outpourings of grief a happy coincidence? To try justifying himself? She’d meant to thank him while politely but firmly calling attention to his wrongdoings. The fact that he could look so absolutely wounded over her rightful anger was the final straw.

“You had no right,” Katie informed him coldly. “None at all. It’s absolutely despicable that you would take such liberties! What else did you watch me do,” she demanded, a sort of dread creeping up her spine at the way Thomas wouldn’t meet her eyes.

Her arms wrapped around her own torso, giving her a feeling of security as – for the first time ever- she raged at a man. Something her father had taught her was never to be done by a woman, no matter what his crime.

“You.Are.Disgusting! The most vile and horrible libertine I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting!”

Nicholas had obtained her consent under false pretenses, but he _had_ obtained it, nonetheless.

Thomas opened his mouth to defend himself, which only served to further enrage her.

“No! Don’t you say one word to me. Never again! Do you understand? I can’t stand you. Don’t speak to me and don’t you _dare_ come near me ever again!”

He quickly closed his mouth, nodding even as those ridiculously earnest puppy eyes filled with tears. Katie paid them no heed, spinning on her heel and stalking away.

Thomas found her in the attic some time later, clearing his throat to announce his presence. Katie half-turned from where she'd been staring longingly at the sunshine she didn't dare venture into. 

“What do you want,” she snapped, voice still somewhat scratchy from the screaming and crying she’d done after leaving him. If she had skin, it would be crawling at the feeling of violation engendered by his mere presence.

His arms were crossed defensively, his posture that of a sulking child.

“I went looking for a sympathetic ear,” he said with an air of wounded dignity. “Mary boxed mine, Kitty yelled, Humphrey laughed at me. And Robin called me an idiot. It seems I may have been...wrong...to intrude on you.”

“You were,” she replied, still not fully looking at him.

“I hope you will accept my sincerest apologies?”

“If it will make you go away,” she said wearily. “All is forgiven. But _not_ forgotten,” Katie added hastily when Thomas emitted a happy squeak. “I still don’t want you anywhere near me.”

“Yes, yes. Of course.” He didn’t sound like he believed her. “Of course, my darling. Someday you’ll change your mind. I can wait.”

She started to correct his presumption, but settled for rolling her eyes in silence as he practically skipped away.


	3. Always there

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie mourns her son's birthday

11 P.M. Katie stepped into the room, making her way over to the bed where she’d labored for nearly two days to deliver a life she wasn’t even permitted to see. She avoided this area as often as possible, but tonight there was something she needed to do.

“Lavender’s blue dilly dilly, lavender’s green,” her arms cradled an imaginary child, body rocking back and forth as she sang the lyrics she used to hum when her Edward was particularly active in the womb.

Could it be only a year ago they’d snatched him from her body? Mother had said it was for the best. She remembered that. As Katie lay curled up and sobbing into the pillow, Mother had stroked her hair and said that it was the right thing to do.

“ _None of that, now, my girl, a clean break is best. If we let you hold it once, you wouldn’t have been able to let go.”_

No one seemed to care that she hadn’t wanted to let go in the first place. If they’d only placed him in her arms once, given her that memory to cling to, perhaps she wouldn’t have spent the next...God, how long _had_ it taken her to die? There were only vague snippets of memory there. Refusing food and drink, drifting in and out of sleep while the maids turned her this way and that to clean. Sometimes Mother sat quietly by the bed, sometimes Elizabeth held Katie’s hand and sobbed. In the end, none of them could rouse her and she passed into this strange new reality.

When her song was finished, she stood and brushed away the tears that had fallen unheeded onto her cheeks. Stepping back into the hall, she nearly screamed at the sight of Robin sitting cross-legged across from the door; staring.

“Don’t _do_ that,” she snapped, hand flying to soothe a heart that no longer beat. "You startled me."

Of everyone in the house, there was something about Robin that still frightened her more even than Humphrey and his general lack of a head. Then again, it was hard to continue being disturbed by something like a lost head after the third time of stumbling across it. Whatever it was about Robin, interacting with him hadn’t yet reached the level of comfortably mundane.

“Why are you here,” she demanded, trying to keep the uneasy tremor from her voice after her previous scolding got no response apart from an apologetic shrug and continued staring.

“Want help,” he said simply.

“Couldn’t one of the others help you?”

Robin shook his head. “No help _me_. You sad. I follow, try help.”

He got to his feet, offering her his hand. Katie shied back and he let it drop with another shrug.

“Follow, please.”

Not quite sure it was the best idea, she followed him down the stairs but balked as he passed through an outside wall; venturing no further than to stick her own head out in order to speak.

“I’m not coming outside. Bad enough I have to walk around half-naked _in here_.”

Robin rolled his eyes at that. “Silly. You dead. Doesn’t matter. I only have clothes because died in cold. If hot, more naked. No one really care.”

She stared at him for a moment, unable to help conjuring the disturbing image in her mind. Up until now, she’d done her best to avoid the men whenever possible, particularly Thomas who couldn’t always stop his eyes from roaming, but faced with Robin’s nonchalance the whole thing seemed ridiculous. She _was_ dead. Her body, such as it was, was only an echo now and it would exist in this state forever. And it had been so long since she’d enjoyed the fresh air.

Stepping forward into the chill night, Katie took a moment to study the way the moonlight shone through Robin and held up her own hand to marvel at the same effect.

“It’s lovely, but I’m not sure how this helps,” she said, still turning her hand this way and that.

“Moonah help me when sad. Before people under ground, was always alone. Maybe flea is friend. Or worms,” he added thoughtfully, almost to himself, “but not same. Missed family. Moonah remember them, too. See baby for you.”

Katie lowered her hand, looking up at the moon. “The moon sees Edward.”

He gave a soft grunt of agreement. “You see moonah. Baby see moonah. Moonah see both.”

The tears that were never far away stung her eyes, but this time they didn’t fall as she smiled up at the sky. “The moon can watch him for me.”

“Hmm. Watch my family, too. Haven’t seen since Humphrey lost head. Idiot.”

She gaped at him. “You don’t mean to say Humphrey is your descendant?”

Surely she’d heard him wrong. The well-dressed and clearly wealthy Humphrey couldn’t possibly have come from the bedraggled creature before her.

Robin looked mildly offended. “Ask Mary, if no believe. He got my pretty face. She sees.”

It discomfited Katie to look so closely at him, but suddenly she understood exactly why. For there was, unmistakably, a similarity between his face and Humphrey’s, marking Robin as undeniably human. Yet there was still something _other_ about him. A not-quite that set him apart as something far more ancient; something almost beyond time. She shuddered back from the overwhelming thought and tried to steer them down a safer path.

“I believe you,” she assured him. “I’m sorry. It must have been...difficult to lose them after so long.”

He nodded. “But, still have Humphrey.”

There was something begrudgingly fond in the way he said it and Katie smiled, relaxing for the first time in ages.

“You aren’t very nice to him, if you don’t mind my saying so. He says you keep putting his head in cupboards.”

“Is for own good. Idiot keeps dropping. Safer.”

He had a point, even if Humphrey would probably prefer being sat on a table instead. Then again, fondness aside, Robin didn’t seem too concerned about Humphrey’s actual comfort. A bit like an exasperated parent. And with that thought, her earlier melancholy returned. Robin seemed to sense her change in mood as her face lifted back to the moon.

“Moonah watch baby,” he assured her, fading back into the house and leaving her once more alone.

It _did_ comfort her, to think of being connected to Edward in some small way.

“Will you sing to him for me,” she asked softly, and repeated her earlier lullaby.

A few miles down the road, in a comfortable working-class home, a toddler blinked sleepy brown eyes up at the moonbeams shining over his bed and tried to catch one in his chubby fist.

 

**Author's Note:**

> For future reference, any interactions between Katherine, Humphrey, and/or Robin, might contain subtext based on this super-long meta conversation found [here](https://stealing-your-kittens.tumblr.com/post/185540952245/this-old-walrus-stealing-your-kittens)


End file.
